Apparatus for measuring volumetrically granular powdered material



Jan. 1, 1929.

J. E. LEA

APPARATUS FOR MEASURING VOLUMETRICALLY GRANULAR POWDERED MATERIAL FiledSept. 22, 1925 Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

JAMES EDWARD LEA, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR MEASURING VOLUMETRICALLY GRANULAR POWDERED MATERIAL.

Application filed September 22, 1925, Serial No. 57,928, and in GreatBritain October 1, 1924.

This invention refers to improved apparatus for measuring volumetricallygranular or powdered materials, such as small coal, ores, grain, sand,salt and the like hereinafter generically referred to as granularnaterials.

According to the invention, the improved apparatus comprises a bin orhopper for receiving the material to be measured, and a horizontalopen-ended spout below said hopper, the spout, and bin or hopper beingmounted on a framework, bench or table.

lVorking on a slide plate below the hopper and into and out of the spoutis a ram, connected to suitable power or hand-operating means andadapted to force the granular or other material falling in front of itthrough the spout. Alongside the hopper and sup ported on the framework,bench or table or by the hopper, is a revolution counter, which isoperably coupled to the ram, whereby the strokes of the ram in onedirection are utilized to operate the counter, which being calibrated toindicate volume or weight, in-

' dicates the total quantity of material passed through the machineafter any number of reciprocations of the ram.

To prevent the actuation of the counter when no material is passingthrough the machine, means may be provided for automatically declutchingthe counter from the driving gear when the hopper is empty.

Upon the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a part longitudinal sectionalelevation, and

Fig. 2 an end or front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a part sectional side view and Fig. 4 a plan of a part of themachine showing means for declutching the counter when no material ispassing through the machine.

In the example of the machine shown, the table a is made of bars ofmetal bolted together to form the sides, stays and legs, and of a plateto form the top of the table. At one end of the table is a metal stand 6with one part formed as a rectangular spout b and another part madelevel and fitted with a plate 0. Above such stand and supported therebyis a sheet metal hopper (Z, the sides of the hopper sloping down andconverging into a throat part (Z equal in width to the width of thespout b Slidably mounted on the plate 0 and projecting through anopening in the lower part of the hopper is a metal ram 6, the forwardend of which is bevelled or sloped so as to allow the granular materialto readily fall and completely fill the space in front of the ram, whenthe latter is retracted. On top of the ram and near to one side is atoothed rack f, and overhanging the ram and meshing with the rack is thefree-wheel or one-way pinion g of a revolution counter h. The counter isenclosed within a metal casing mounted on the ma.- chine table, and isprovided with a window through which the counting dials, calibrated incubic measurement or weight, may be seen and read off.

At that end of the table a furthest from the delivery spout b arebearing brackets i, which carry a cross shaft j fitted at one end with ahandle is (or power pulley) and at the other end with a disc Z. To a pinon said disc, eccentrical-ly arranged, is one end of a connecting rod m,which at its other end is hingedly connected to the rear end of the ram(3.

lVith the hopper supplied and filled with granular material, which flowsby gravity downwards and fills the spout b the turning of the handle isoperates the ram 6 to reciprocate it to and fro, and at each forwardreciprocation (with the stroke of the ram consta'nt, as also the crosssectional area of the spout), deliver a fixed quantity or volume ofgranular material through the spout 5 During each forward reciprocationof the ram, the rack f rotates the pinion g and imparts a proportionalmovement to the counter, which latter indicates the total quantity ofmaterial delivered.

The motion of the free-wheel pinion 9 may be imparted to the counter itthrough a clutch 12 (see Figs. 3 and 4), and such clutch may becontrolled by a feeler 0, and weighted lever 39, the arrangement beingsuch that so long as there is material in the hopper, the feeler will bedepressed and the clutch 92 held in engagement with the pinion g, but sosoon as the material falls below the feeler the weighted lever 72,through link 9 and lever r, declutches the pinion, and no further measurement takes place until the hopper is refilled,

Instead of the feeler 0 being in the throat of the hopper it may be inthe spout 5 The improved machine is specially adapted for measuring fuelin a boiler house, say prior to use in a handfired boiler, or on its wayto the mechanical stokers of a battery of boilers. It may be a fixture,or it may be fitted with wheels to allow of its being wheeled about,

or it may be suspended and arranged to run on overhead rails, receivingits supply at one point and delivering measured quantities whererequired.

What I claim is 1. In apparatus for measuring volumetrically granularmaterials comprising a reciprocating ram, a passage for delivering thematerial thereto and counter mechanism operably connected to the ram, incombination means for rendering the counter mechanism inoperative whenthe supply of material ceases, said means comprising clutch mechanismarranged in the drive for the said counter mechanism and aclutch-operating member therefor arranged in the said passage so as tobe operated by the material in the passage for effecting and maintainingthe operative engagement of the said clutch mechanism, as set forth.

2. In apparatus for measuring volumetrically granular materialscomprising a reciprocating ram, a passage for delivering thematerialthereto and counter mechanism operably connected to the ram, incombination, means for rendering the counter mechanism inoperative whenthe supply of material ceases, said means comprising clutch mechanismarranged in the drive for the said counter mechanism and a clutchoperating member therefor arranged in the said passage so as to beoperated by the weight of the material in the passage for 'eifeeting andmaintaining the operative engagement of the said clutch mechanism, asset forth. v

3. In apparatus for measuring volumetrically granular materialscomprising a reciprocating ram, a passage for delivering the materialthereto and counter mechanism operably connected to the ram, incombination a counter having a rotatable spindle, a clutch memberslidably mounted thereon and constrained to rotate therewith, a pinionmember JAMES EDWARD LEA.

